Champs Elysées no-go

The Champs Elysees, in central Paris, has suffered a startling rise in violent crime, say French police

Publishing the latest crime statistics for the French capital, the National Crime Observatory reported more than 1,500 incidents of violent assault on and around the thoroughfare - a 32% rise on the previous year's figure.

Reported thefts are up by 93% and incidents of threatening behaviour have risen by 48% - the biggest increase for any area in the city.

"The atmosphere is no longer good-natured, like it once was," says senior policeman Guy Parent, head of the Paris antiprostitution brigade. He warns that what was once the world's most famously elegant avenue is becoming a no-go zone, known instead for violent crime, prostitution and racketeering. "Many people from the poor out-of-town estates come in, wanting to party in the nightclubs," he said. They are often under the influence of alcohol and that creates incidents."

Francois Lebel, mayor of the eighth arrondissement, warns that the Champs Elysées is going the way of